Sencha is the most popular variety of Japanese green tea. It has a beautiful emerald color and a delicate balance of sweetness, umami, and bitterness. When enjoyed hot, sencha relaxes and invigorates, while cold sencha is wonderfully refreshing in summer.
After being harvested, sencha undergoes a steaming process to minimize oxidization, preserving the leaf while keeping it close to its fresh state. Analysis has revealed that this sort of steaming destroys most of the oxidative enzymes in tea. This is what allows sencha to remain brilliant green in color, and to retain its natural vitamin content, high concentration of polyphenols, and abundance of amino acids.
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Packaging options
Leaf tea is available in 85g pouch, 1kg pouch, 5kg carton, 20kg carton
Teabag cut is available in 2gx10 pouch, 20kg carton -
How to use
To make a perfect cup of Japanese tea, the most important points are the hardness and temperature of the water, the ratio of tea leaves to water, and the steeping time. Where possible, soft water should be used.
The water should be boiled and poured over the leaves, then left to steep. Hotter water will release more catechin into the tea, making it more bitter. Cooler water will release more amino acids into the tea, resulting in more pronounced umami and sweetness. Higher grade teas are best prepared using warm, rather than piping hot, water. Using water that is too hot may mean that some of the more delicate flavors are overwhelmed. Equally, steeping the leaves for too long can make the tea dark and overly bitter.
Roasted teas like kukicha, hojicha, and bancha are the easiest Japanese teas to brew. As an alternative to brewing the leaves in a teapot, these roasted teas can also be simmered or boiled in a saucepan to extract their full flavor.
Loose tea
Makes 1 litre- Add 3 level tbsp of leaves to a saucepan, together with 1 litre of water.
- Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes.
- Strain and serve hot or chilled.
Make 2 cups (300ml)
- Place 2 tsp (5g) tea leaves in a teapot, or more according to your taste.
- Pour 300ml boiling water into a teapot and steep for 2 minutes, or 3 – 5 minutes for a stronger taste.
Teabag
- Pour boiling water (90 – 100℃) over a teabag in a mug or cup.
- Steep for 1-2 minutes.
